Fall Memories

Nature in its glory

 25 miles north of Newfound Gap 
in the mountains of Tennessee 
along the Appalachian Trail 
Steve and I find a place to rest.
an isolated camp site 
with a breathtaking view. 
without an agenda, 
without time pressure, 
we sit quietly on a fallen tree
eating slowly, savoring
tiny slivers of a red apple.

the trees are 
glorious dappled patches 
of bright purple, silver, pink, 
gray, yellow, tangerine
snuggling with every shade of green.
no civilization in sight or sound.
as the humid evening cool
descends into the valley
we look down on clouds
and know we’ve seen the essence 
of the Smokey mountains
and felt the ultimate escape
from the civilized rat race.
I daydream of Daniel Boone 
who crossed this trail with 
the fifteen families who settled 
the Missouri Territory one year
after the Louisiana Purchase
---------------------------
at Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park
a crystal clear mountain stream loudly 
cavorts and tumbles over 
house-sized boulders 
and through slick, centuries-worn 
narrow sloughs and slides
I sit alone drinking in the
hillside tree’s bright yellows and oranges
of an early fall day in the sun
in Missouri
----------------------------
descending from rabbit ears pass
above Steamboat Springs Colorado
I pull over to the look-out point
I will use to launch my cross-country skis 
later in the winter 
the scrub oaks 
just below the tree line 
add touches of yellow
to the windswept tall pines. 
the gray and brown fractured
weather rock bluff and 
the pure cold white 
patches of fresh fallen early snow
are solid contrast to the liquid cold air
filling my lungs through smiling lips
------------------------------
I sit on the natural stone jetty
south of Carmel by the Sea, California, 
my backpack at my feet
near a gnarled and 
salt sea wind-shaped hardy tree and 
admire jade plant patches 
sporting the bright yellow and red colors 
signifying that carotin is displacing and flushing 
out the plants to begin a short dormant period.
nearby, the straw-thin natural brown and yellow
native grasses anchoring and protecting
the sand from the cantankerous ocean
add color, contrast and beauty
the coast is beautiful this time of year
---------------------------------
five of my grandchildren
laugh and leap through
the pumpkin farm field
shouting “Here’s one!”
Here’s one!” “This one’s mine!”
the adults try to discourage the big ones
not wanting to carry them 
back to the waiting hay wagon.

feet dangling over the side of the wagon 
bouncing along the fine dusty road
the huffing sound and oil smell of the old tractor
in the air, prickly hay bail at my back 
and one arm around my precious
exhausted, youngest as her head falls
forward in exhausted happy waves of sleep.
her arms never lose grip on the
small, perfect orange pumpkin sitting 
on her dusty cotton summer dress lap
with her tiny kissable bare knees 
soaking in the late evening sun
------------------------------
I’ve etched these pictures in memory
for recall on dreary days

Reviews

[cheynicole]

When i clicked on this i was not expecting to read a peep about Johnson Shut-Ins. Yet here it is here and I’m glad it is. You described it perfectly. Perfectly.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Fantastic! So very beautiful and tender with lines that reach deep down into the spirit and stir the embers to keep one warm. Simply delightful!

[Tate Morgan]

Ads We all strain at natures beauty to taste the sea and feel the warm sun It is beautiful to live

[Tovli]

i loved this. beautiful and flowing. a wonderful piece. It was poetry giving over story--a real gift. thanks for including it. tovli

[Jasmine]

there are some really great parts to this, the description and some of the flow is really good. my criticism is that it's just a bit long. i found myself skimming over parts of it to get to the good bits! sorry, i don't like criticising people's work, but this could be AMAZING if you cut out some of the..waffling. i love the style especially at the beginning, not a generic poetry style. love it. apart from the long-winded stuff, i love this, it has the potentila to be awesome. keep it up :) (ps sorry about the essay of a review!)